SEIA asks Massachusetts to provide ‘certainty’ for solar companies

MASSACHUSETTS, July 19, 2017 - The Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) program, to be implemented next year, would replace the state’s central solar policy. The state aims to double its solar capacity and bring solar to more of its residents. As the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) works on the details, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) is weighing in with comments on changes the organization would like to see. SEIA’s director of Northeast state affairs David Gahl testified in Boston on the matter.

“We must ensure that those who adopt solar are fairly compensated, that responsible solar installations can be sited across the Commonwealth, and that the final program encourages solar development across diverse market sectors, including community shared solar operations,” said Gahl. “The SMART program is meant to be a long-term policy that provides certainty for solar companies in the state, which is why it’s so important that the administration get this right.”

The SMART program was filed with Secretary of State William Francis Galvin on June 5. Massachusetts has nearly 15,000 solar jobs. The Commonwealth is the sixth-largest solar state in the nation with almost 1,600 megawatts of solar. Gov. Charlie Baker (pictured above) hopes to install an additional 1,600 megawatts of solar by 2020. The state Legislature is expected to consider raising net metering caps this fall.

This week’s guest on Open Mic is Rod Hebrink, President and CEO of Compeer Financial. The lack of certainty from a new farm bill and weak commodity prices due to lost export markets and robust supplies have left farmers and lenders with a grim outlook for 2019. In this interview, Hebrink discusses the challenge of the unknown and the need for legislators and the White House to take action on farm policy, trade and regulations to help rural America prepare for the year ahead.

The world of agriculture extends beyond what’s growing in your field or living in your barn, and here at Agri-Pulse, we understand that. We make it our duty to inform you of the most up-to-date agricultural and rural policy decisions being made in Washington D.C. and examine how they will affect you – the farmer, the lobbyist, the government employee, the educator, the consultant and the concerned citizen.